2-Door JK JeepKitchen - AT Chaser - Globetrotter - National Luna build thread

[Hudson]

I have enjoyed your build thread, as I am in the market for a new JLR and wondered how it would be to outfit. Your build reminds me of my older ECamper build, I even used many of the same items. I ended up selling it and we now glamp in a luxurious Airstream.

2011 Honda Element AWD Ecamper by Ursa Minor 33kmi $28kOBO

Selling my Ecamper to upgrade to a full sized truck and trailer. The Ecamper is a 2011 EX AWD automatic with currently 33.5k miles. Ursa Minor performed the custom pop-top install (they also do the Jeep pop tops). Perfect for the avid mountain biker, hiker, kayaker, or dirt bike enthusiast who...

www.expeditionportal.com

But I’ll be doing some back country trips, just me and maybe one of my boys, so I am very curious about your journey. And I appreciate living vicariously through your build, as there are almost no 2door WRANGLER RTT builds. Hats off!

After consuming this thread, it seems like you are trucking around a lot of gear for one guy, like I did on my Ecamper and which caused me to explore many of the things you did in your build. But I have to believe that compromises the Jeep experience because you can’t remove the front freedom top easily, and the weight seems like it would limit the trails you can tackle. Is that right or am I off base? It looks like forest roads are not an issue but you have lots of weight that I would expect to be a problem on more aggressive trails with rocks or where you would have to air down?

Like you, I have a trailer to enjoy camping, which means I’m of the mind lately to go lighter and more minimalist with the JLR. A light MSR camp stove and gear, maybe a tripod and Dutch oven setup if I want oven capabilities, no fridge and no need for a second battery but rather cooler, ice, and being careful of my food selection to minimize need for frigeration and buying fresh at local markets where possible. Maybe a suitcase solar setup like my Renogy for a bit of extra battery power. That leaves the sleeping situation- can I get by without needing a RTT and just do the old fashion tent setup? I like being above the reach of critters but it sure seems like it takes a big investment and compromise to doing an RTT vs something like an Adv trailer.

As much as I love your setup and ingenuity, are there moments when you look back and question all the add ons? Which ones could you not want to live without, vs those you could do without? I will need to daily drive my JLR which greatly cuts down on many mods to consider.

Anyway, love the build and hoping you can share your reflections.

 

[david.lemke]

I love this set up, just got my new to me 2013 jk sport and am converting to an expedition vehicle, thanks for sharing as this is great info

 

[jacobconroy]

I have enjoyed your build thread, as I am in the market for a new JLR and wondered how it would be to outfit. Your build reminds me of my older ECamper build, I even used many of the same items. I ended up selling it and we now glamp in a luxurious Airstream.

2011 Honda Element AWD Ecamper by Ursa Minor 33kmi $28kOBO

Selling my Ecamper to upgrade to a full sized truck and trailer. The Ecamper is a 2011 EX AWD automatic with currently 33.5k miles. Ursa Minor performed the custom pop-top install (they also do the Jeep pop tops). Perfect for the avid mountain biker, hiker, kayaker, or dirt bike enthusiast who...

www.expeditionportal.com

But I’ll be doing some back country trips, just me and maybe one of my boys, so I am very curious about your journey. And I appreciate living vicariously through your build, as there are almost no 2door WRANGLER RTT builds. Hats off!

After consuming this thread, it seems like you are trucking around a lot of gear for one guy, like I did on my Ecamper and which caused me to explore many of the things you did in your build. But I have to believe that compromises the Jeep experience because you can’t remove the front freedom top easily, and the weight seems like it would limit the trails you can tackle. Is that right or am I off base? It looks like forest roads are not an issue but you have lots of weight that I would expect to be a problem on more aggressive trails with rocks or where you would have to air down?

Like you, I have a trailer to enjoy camping, which means I’m of the mind lately to go lighter and more minimalist with the JLR. A light MSR camp stove and gear, maybe a tripod and Dutch oven setup if I want oven capabilities, no fridge and no need for a second battery but rather cooler, ice, and being careful of my food selection to minimize need for frigeration and buying fresh at local markets where possible. Maybe a suitcase solar setup like my Renogy for a bit of extra battery power. That leaves the sleeping situation- can I get by without needing a RTT and just do the old fashion tent setup? I like being above the reach of critters but it sure seems like it takes a big investment and compromise to doing an RTT vs something like an Adv trailer.

As much as I love your setup and ingenuity, are there moments when you look back and question all the add ons? Which ones could you not want to live without, vs those you could do without? I will need to daily drive my JLR which greatly cuts down on many mods to consider.

Anyway, love the build and hoping you can share your reflections.

Glad you are following. I've been away from the portal for a while. Moved on to different hobbies for the foreseeable future. The Jeep is more or less "done". There may be a little this or that next spring when I gear up for camping season. We will see. It would be nice to have some sort of pressurized water system, maybe upgrade to a LifePO4 battery, and maybe solar. Might move the Propex into the cab. Might pull out the passenger seat and build a storage/dog bed or kennel system in its' place.

It has taken me four years to get this rig just the way I want it. Yes, if I started over again I would probably build a 4X4 van. The Jeep is not ideal for this application, but it's paid for. I have an old 4WD van and might work on that a bit next year too.

A lot of time and money went into this build (for me). In the end it takes me about an hour to leave for a camping trip. Just add water, food, fuel and booze. That's it. At camp it takes less than 30 min total to setup EVERYTHING. Leaving takes about 40 minutes to put it all away. When I get home it takes about an hour to empty the trash, clean out the fridge, charge up battery powered devices and plug in shore power. The only way I can think of to make things easier is to add solar and Li batteries to enable longer trips. I don't know ANYONE that can leave for a trip in an hour without anything missing. Of course, most everyone else goes camping with other people.

So, I've spend all this time an money mainly to avoid the way I used to camp. It would take me 3 hours to get ready to leave and then I'd spend the camping trip making lists of things that were missing. When I'd get home the crap would sit in the Jeep for days until I felt like unloading. Didn't like that.

Two weekends ago I tried to take a minimum kitchen instead of the Kanz Kitchen (JetBoil and two dehydrated meals). It sucked. Last weekend I took the Kanz again. Had to remind myself why I bought/built it. Putting the Kanz Kitchen on a drawer to eliminate moving it around might be a project for next year too.

If you have a 2-door Jeep then doing all this isn't a good idea if it is your daily driver. I question if all this should be done a 4-door daily driver Jeep. It's a lot of weight. Too much weight actually.

I don't do any trail driving, but I have always been able to get where I want to go. Some of it has been pretty sketchy over short distances. Three weekends ago I went with a buddy that had a full-sized truck. He was afraid to scratch his paint and we didn't make it to the camp site I had in mind. That reminded me why I built this on a Jeep platform. If the Jeep will physically fit through an opening, then I'm probably able to get there.

You are right though. It's not really a Jeep anymore (functionally). I would not try anything off-camber. Trailers are a good idea for some people, but I don't like pulling one. In fact I traded my Chaser off about a week ago for some new toys. Haven't missed it yet.

And, I've been through many different add-ons on the Jeep. The ones that are still there are the ones I use on every trip. Mainly fridge, battery, awning, tent, and kitchen. The electric saw got me out of one jam this year (blowdown on the way out in the morning). It's a process. Don't think there is any way to build a rig that doesn't take years and dollars.

I think the ideal "casual overland" rig would be a 4-door Jeep & Ursa Minor. It would keep the weight down, eliminate the necessity of a ladder, and get you off the ground at bed time. Oh, and awning are very important if you ask me. Sitting in the sun sucks!

Anyway, these are some of my reflections about this camping year. I've been out every Friday night since Easter with the exception of one or two Fridays. Been a lot of fun!

 

[mobydick 11]

Hi Jacob .Followed your build ,and it has been very interesting . I settled for now,on a truck cap camper with a 4x8 trailer . When you talk about wanting to build out the van it reminds me of an old drag racer saying .( there is no substitute for cubic inches ). please keep us updated when you start the van. to save money I am trying to make gear interchangeable from me L200 Mitsubishi to the truck camper .ARB canopy and room, ARB fridge , on demand hot water and forced air diesel heater .trying to make it all plug and play

 

[Fording]

Whew. I might have just binge read most of this thread. Well done. Thanks for the time you took. I’ll “probably” never do the Propex install, but some of those dinner pics convinced me a fridge and kitchen is better then Mountain House.

 

[jacobconroy]

Whew. I might have just binge read most of this thread. Well done. Thanks for the time you took. I’ll “probably” never do the Propex install, but some of those dinner pics convinced me a fridge and kitchen is better then Mountain House.

After all the drama with the Propex over the last two years, it seems to have finally stabilized. I've turned it on at 3AM for the last two or three trips at elevation (when you wake up freezing at 3AM) and it has worked. The next two months will tell the tale. I expect that the Propex drama will pay off in the shoulder seasons. In my locale, it usually drops below freezing each night at elevation from April - May and Sept - November.

The toolbox work made it much faster and easier to use, but I expect to permanently install it in the cab next spring (with permanent ductwork through the ceiling). After that it will have become "as easy as it gets".

You gotta have some sort of kitchen setup man! Using a regular cooler isn't so bad, but if you can't cook real food at camp....oy vey!

 

[jacobconroy]

your storage bag solution looks rely useful , thinking when i final get around to good organization like this i would use labels or a tag to show whats in there . what if you just load the saw in with the sprocket or oilier port turned to the top . with it being electric you don't have to be worried about gas spilling out . you could cut a piece of that foam for it to sit in ,like they do in those fancy camera cases .

You sir, are a very smart fellow. I turned the saw on it's side one shortly after your post (oil port up/cap down) and guess what? No more leaking.

I owe you a beer. If I had a child, I'd name it after you!

Edit: Next child = Jason (or Jackylin) Mobydick-Conroy

 

[mobydick 11]

Ha Ha thanks Jacob , glad I could give something back.

 

[jacobconroy]

So, I went out to start the Jeep on Wednesday (after sitting for three weeks) and the battery was dead. Bummer. When I reinstalled the NOCO I hooked it up to the rear battery only. Dumb.

Yesterday I took the Jeep apart and hooked up NOCO bank 1 to the starter battery, NOCO bank 2 to the coach battery, and wired the fridge directly to the coach battery. Now the fridge runs all the time and the batteries are maintained separately when the NOCO is plugged in to 120 volts. If I leave for camping I need only to flip the breaker on the NL Power Pack to connect both batteries (for typical NL power management).

Should have hooked up both batteries this spring.

 

[osidepunker]

What up man! Great thread! I didn't read the whole thread, I started at post 80 with eh heater install, but seems like you do similar style camping as me and my group do; remote camping and exploring.

I'm gonna do a propex install. I'm looking at the HS2211. My plan is to mount directly under the RTT (james baroud horizon vision) and run the supply and return into the opening at the hinge. The propane tank will sit directly under the heater.

What do you think? Any tips or advice for me?

 

[jacobconroy]

What up man! Great thread! I didn't read the whole thread, I started at post 80 with eh heater install, but seems like you do similar style camping as me and my group do; remote camping and exploring.

I'm gonna do a propex install. I'm looking at the HS2211. My plan is to mount directly under the RTT (james baroud horizon vision) and run the supply and return into the opening at the hinge. The propane tank will sit directly under the heater.

What do you think? Any tips or advice for me?

View attachment 543339View attachment 543341

Sounds like a plan to me. My advice would be to keep the supply and return runs as short as possible, make sure that neither can be smothered by sleeping bags (etc.)in the tent, don't forget to put a carbon monoxide detector in the tent with you, and make sure that you can point the supply duct (hot) towards your head (and therefore into your sleeping bag).

I've found that on really cold mornings, it saves a lot of fuel if you can blow the heat under your sleeping bag. Having heat that blows on the outside of the bag doesn't really help you, since the sleeping bag keeps heat out just as well as it keeps it in. To be clear, you don't want to put the duct under your sleeping bag. It will be hot enough to ALMOST BURN YOU and it might trip the limit switch in the heater if the return duct isn't getting air freely. I just point the heat duct towards my neck and let the hot air blow into the bag. Works awesome.

 

[jacobconroy]

This build has been completed. Thanks to all that have been watching!

 

[jacobconroy]

I've pulled all the gear from the Jeep to install in the van (build thread in my signature). Still early at this point, but the kitchen is about half-done. I'll keep track of that build like I did in this one.

 

[mipatter]

Nice job with the engineering. I especially liked the windshield bracket. Clever!